COLUMBUS, Ohio — Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands.
Ohioans have heard this for nearly eight months, but the number of COVID-19 cases continue to climb.
Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika W. Roberts believes it's time for a new game plan.
“I think we have to find different messengers to share that message. I think people may be tired from hearing from public health. They may even be tired from hearing from their elected officials,” Dr. Roberts said.
Part of the goal behind the governor's COVID-19 defense teams is to bring new voices to the fight against the virus.
“That's what we have to figure out who is the best messenger is for this population to get this point across,” Dr. Roberts said.
In July, Dr. Roberts said the department would prefer to see four consecutive weeks of declining coronavirus cases before bringing kids back into the classroom.
Dr. Roberts said health officials now know that the initial fear that COVID-19 would spread rapidly through schools isn't happening. Now she said it's time for kids to go back to the classroom.
“I made it clear to all of our superintendents here in Columbus that it was safe for the kids to go back in the classroom, assuming they wear masks and practice social distancing. Our data shows our cases are not coming from K-12. K-12 kids being in school with the safeguard measures we have in place, that the state has put in place is not only keeping our students safe but our teachers safe in the classroom," Dr. Roberts said. "Our kids should be back in school. Our cases-per-capita is high. I'm not going to lie, we have about 150 cases per 100,000. That's one of the highest we've ever been, but our kids are still safe in the classroom."